Rapper who killed producer for 'disrespect' gets 30 years

A rapper outraged because his half-brother was "disrespected" in a song lyric was jailed with a confederate for 30 years yesterday after a revenge attack ended in murder.

Carl Dobson, 23 - also known as the grime rap star Crazy Titch - killed music producer Richard Holmes last November as a row over the lyrics escalated disastrously, the Old Bailey heard. Dobson and an associate, Anthony Green, 35, confronted Mr Holmes, 21, because he had made the mistake of allying himself with the upcoming garage star Shaba Shah. Shah, 16, known as Shaba Shak, had released a track insulting Dobson's half-brother, Dwayne Mahorn, 25, also a rapper known as Durrty Goodz.

A handgun was held to the victim's head before he was shot in the back as he tried to escape. The attackers also shot him in the leg with a Mach 10 machine gun.

Dobson and Green denied any involvement, but a teenage rap fan who witnessed the shooting was able to identify Dobson because he had been on television. Both Dobson and Green were convicted of murder and received life sentences. Mahorn, of Chingford, east London, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter. He was led from the dock in tears moments after the verdicts were read out.

The common serjeant of London, Judge Brian Barker, told Dobson, of Stratford, east London, and Green, of Loughton, Essex - who both have previous convictions for violence - that they must serve a minimum of 30 years in jail.

The court heard that Shah recorded a track, Over the Years, which said: "Over the years things change in the 'hood, I used to have a lot of respect for Durrty Goodz - either singer or song. Not no more". On hearing the song, Mahorn locked Shah in his car and demanded an apology for the lyrics. When Mr Holmes protested at Mahorn's treatment, Dobson and Green formed an armed group to find Shah and his associates. As their targets fled, Mr Holmes was surrounded and hit in the leg, arm and back. The fatal shot to the back, which passed through his heart, was delivered with the handgun, the court heard.